Silver
by TheRealSnowWhite
Summary: When researching Snape's werewolf essay, Hermione writes to a famous werewolf lady in southern France. She discovers more than she expects too a friend and her teacher's secret. Will the wider werewolf community help the wizarding world fight? Poa
1. Chapter 1

The woman was sat in an armchair, by the fire, reading a newspaper called 'The WW Times'. She sighed and turned a page.

"Pack Tax? Oh dear oh dear, what a silly idea." She muttered to herself. She picked up her willow patterned cup (which had a slice of lemon stuck precariously on the rim) and took a sip. She put it back down on the mahogany table next to her and readjusted the lace cap on her ringlets. She felt her eyelids drop a little as she read. Last night's hunt had really been too tiring. Perhaps a nice nap by the fireside?

She was just settling herself down, bodice loosened and feet up on her favourite poufle when their was a tap at the window. She jumped up, knocking the table and the cup flying. The cup shattered on the stone floor. The woman scowled and tapped the cup with a wand drawn from a lacy pocket in her dress. The cup repaired itself instantly. She walked to the window and flung it open. A large screech owl flew in and landed on the upturned table. It ruffled its feathers importantly and held out a leg. The woman knelt down and tied the letter.

_Dear Lady Amelia Vuk,_ it read,

_I am a third year student at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. I am researching werewolves for a Defence Against The Dark Arts essay and I came across your name in a book of werewolf genealogy. I wanted to know if I could ask you some questions about werewolves. My essay is due next lesson so I've written them here._

_1.Is it difficult to distinguish a normal wolf from a werewolf?_

_2.To become a werewolf, do you have to be bitten?_

_3.Does silver really work on a werewolf?_

_4.Is the wolfs bane potion useful within werewolf circles?_

_5.Is there any cure for werewolf bites themselves, not the actual disease?_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Hermione Granger, Gryffindor House_

Amelia sat down, re-reading the letter. She'd never had anything like this…trembling slightly she walked to the drawing room, sat down at a desk, inked a quill and began to write

A/N: **this is the first story in my series about my obsession with bred werewolves and their society. flame, review...any response is nice really ")**


	2. Chapter 2

_Dear Hermione Granger of the clan Gryffindor. Blessings be upon your lair!_

_I was fascinated to receive your letter of late. Slightly shocked, too as most of the magic world would not have the bravery to write and ask an actual werewolf these things. They would prefer to dwell in books and lies. Curses upon them! They would deny us magic if they could. Here are the answers to your questions:_

_1.Yes, it is difficult to distinguish a normal wolf from a werewolf if you do not know what you are doing. You would not know which one was which unless you got very close and that is not a good idea! However, I in my changed form am very much smaller than a regular wolf. There are also small difference in tail shape, pupil shape etc._

_2.There are two types of werewolf: Bitten and bred._

_3.Silver does work on a werewolf. Even the slightest touch can burn the skin! (well, on a bred werewolf. A bitten wolf often finds that this is not so much)_

_4.Some of my people use it, certainly in Britain. But out here in the wider werewolf world, many wolves do not bother with it. (Bred werewolves are more likely to be able to keep their minds as a wolf, as the canine/human balance has been finely tuned over the years.) Many wolves are veetotallers to suppress the urge to maim and kill. _

_5.There are some cures for werewolf bites yes but these do not completely work of course. Wolfsbane is one. It stings yes, but it can revive an unconscious werewolf and heal small werewolf inflicted wounds but not full bites. _

_I hope these answered your questions._

_Lady Amelia Vuk of the clan claw. _

_May many flies devour the hearts of your enemies!_

Amelia tied the scroll back onto the owls leg. It set off back into the sky.

* * *

Hermione was agitated at breakfast and kept looking up at the ceiling. She wasn't eating, merely casting looks up. 

"What's wrong?" Asked Ron, in between shovelling scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"Nothing's the matter." She snapped back, tapping her fingers on the table. Ron raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

A large screech owl landed in front of Hermione suddenly and she pounced on it excitedly.

"Finally! I've been waiting for the reply for two days!" She ripped the scroll off the leg of the owl, reading the letter so fast her eyes blurred.

"That makes so much more sense now! How could I be so stupid? It changes everything…I better run and change my essay. I'll see you two in Charms..." Hermione jumped up from the bench, still looking at the letter.

"Veetotallers?" She muttered as she hurried off.

"You have any idea who she's writing too?" Asked Harry. Ron shook his head and swallowed.

"No idea. Probably a homework club, knowing Hermione."

**a/n: songfic challenge. i was listening to the song hurt by nin/johnny cash and i thought that song really encapsulates the whole lupin/tonks relationship. any takers lol? ")**


	3. Chapter 3

Amelia was in bed, just reading a treatise on the rights of yennorks in werewolf society when she heard a tap at her window. Growling a little to herself, she got out and pulled on her Japanese style silk dressing gown over her lace nightgown. She opened her bedroom window and there was the familiar screech owl, bearing another letter. She hurriedly undid it from the owl's leg.

_Dear Lady Amelia,_

_Thank you very much for replying! It really cleared things up for me. I had to rewrite lots of my essay to incorporate the new things you told me. I'm sure I'll get full marks now; the school library doesn't have much information on werewolves, just the basics really._

_But I just wanted to ask: what are veetotallers? _

_Yours,_

_Hermione Granger_

Amelia smiled at this letter.

"But of course I must answer immediately." She picked up a candle from the bedside table and hurried to the drawing room. She bumped into Jean on the way. He was crawling back to his bedchamber, looking thoroughly sorry for himself.

"Amelia, what are you doing up still?" He asked as she drew near.

"I could say the same of you, Lord Jean Loup-de-garou of clan snout. Have you been out with the humans drinking? Not really a fitting thing for our alpha-male to do, is it?" She smirked at him as she carried on her way.

She sat down at her desk in the drawing room and quickly wrote a reply back.

_Dear Hermione,_

_You're welcome. And I do hope you receive full marks. You're obviously clever enough, in order to be able to research werewolf genealogy, my address and being able to send the letter to my pack's mansion. It's hidden from human eyes, both magical and muggle. _

_As to your question of veetotallers….I am myself a veetotaller. It basically means I'm vegetarian. This helps us not crave human prey. It helps when we Change too. Instead of attacking humans when we feel the urge to hunt, we attack chickens and the suchlike. Then we can go back the next day and shove a bit of money under the door to pay for them._

_Lady Amelia._


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione was even more distracted at breakfast than the day before. She kept dropping her knife and fork every time an owl flew past.

"I hope that owl's quick if she's replied at all. The essay's in tomorrow." She kept muttering under her breath.

"Who?" Asked Ron through a mouth of sausage and egg.

"Someone if you had bothered to do your research for the werewolf essay for Snape you would have found out about." Snapped Hermione nastily back. Ron scowled and stabbed a sausage, chuntering under his breath.

A exhausted screech owl landed in the cornflake bowl in front of Hermione, slightly damp. After she removed the scroll on it's leg, it flew off as fast as possible back to the owlery. Hermione read the letter quickly and burst out laughing. Harry tried peering over her shoulder but she shoved the letter in her bag.

"Haven't you two heard of privacy?" She asked huffily. She stormed off.

"Ever since she started writing to that person, Hermione's been really secretive." Mused Harry.

"Whoever it is, I say it's not good for us." Said Ron darkly.

* * *

"Harry, can I borrow Hedwig? I need to send a letter to someone. She'll want to know what's happened." It was Monday evening. The trio were sat in the common room, finishing some Charms homework. Earlier today, in Defence Against The Dark Arts, Hermione had found out that the essay wasn't to be handed at all, even though she had done it. With extra research. The idea of writing to Lady Amelia had been a particularly good one, adding lots more to her work than she could have found out on her own. However, the whole topic had put a few nagging worries at the back of her mind and she needed to ask Lady Amelia about it. 

"Why? Is it that person you've been writing to all week?"

"Yes. She's my…pen friend. She lives in…Romania and knows a lot about werewolves. That's why I've been so desperate for her replies all week, Y'know, for the essay."

"The one we didn't have to hand in." Chipped in Ron.

"Yes. So I just want to tell her not to worry, I didn't have to hand it in anyway."

"Fine. She'll probably be out hunting so you might have to wait a while."

* * *

While Hermione waited for Hedwig to fly back in, she wrote her letter back to Lady Amelia.

_Lady Amelia,_

_Thank you so much for all the information. Sadly, it turns out the essay didn't have to be done after all (It was set by a substitute teacher)._

_However, the project has aroused suspicions about my actual Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher. He's always off school whenever it's a full moon, his boggart is a full moon and my friend Harry has told me he saw Professor Lupin drinking a smoking potion. Smoking, is of course, one of the physical properties of the Wolfsbane potion. _

_I really think he is a werewolf. Do you know him, if all werewolves are connected by social knowledge? His name is Remus J.Lupin._

_Hermione._


	5. Chapter 5

Lady Amelia frowned at the latest letter. A British werewolf? Well, the symptoms sounded correct for a start. But proving for definite….that would prove difficult, as Britain wasn't part of The Seven Clans Government as of yet, due to terms of unfair cruelty and violence. British werewolves weren't even in the files for the invites to The International Werewolf Conference! The only one invited was her friend and fellow pack member Elsa. Elsa had married Andrei, who of course was from the same village as Amelia in Romania.

Elsa was British.

She could know other British werewolves.

"Elsa? ELSA?" Amelia ran through the mansion, lifting up her many skirts so she didn't fall over. The married couple were outside in the southern French sunshine, watching their latest littler of cubs (Josef, Teresa and Boxer who was a yennork, and stuck in his wolf form.) play in the vast gardens of Chateau étaient le loup. Their eldest daughter Violet sat beside them, earphones clamped over her ears, bopping her head up and down wildly.

"OO Hello love, were you calling me? Me and Andrei were just talking about having a family holiday perhaps someday soon. Somewhere nice, like Spain maybe." Elsa jumped up to give her friend a hug. Andrei nodded and smiled, pushing his wire rimmed glasses back up his nose. Andrei was a very quiet, thin, tall man while Elsa was a very loud, short, plump woman. It always made Amelia smile when she saw them together.

"I just wanted to ask you about your time in England before you met me or Andrei. Whether you knew any British werewolves." Asked Amelia timidly.

Elsa's face set into a frown. Before Amelia and almost her entire clan had moved to London, Elsa had been caught up in the desperate civil war between the seven werewolf clans.

Her mother had been a yennork, a werewolf who is unable to change but remains in one form To a purist werewolf, any yennorks or yennork children should die as to not dilute good werewolf blood. She had spent years running through the Undead back streets of London, hiding her background. She was now protected by her pack but she did not like to be reminded of those awful times.

"Of course I knew British werewolves. It's a shame most wanted to kill me because of my mother but there you go." She tried to sound light and breezy but her voice shook.

"It's just that English student I told you about has written to me to ask whether I can tell if a teacher at her school is one of our kind or not. British werewolves are not registered with the government or the conference files so I thought I'd ask a British werewolf."

Elsa snatched the letter from Amelia's hand.

"Nope, I didn't hear of him. Of course, he could be a bitten, not a bred. Only the purist pedigree breeds came after me, in order to destroy my impure genes. But it's obvious he's a werewolf. Completely obvious."


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione reread the words over and over.

_Completely obvious, although we don't know the man in question._

She had known it immediately when she did the essay of course. But she had had to check.

She read the letter again.

_Dear Hermione,It's completely obvious, although we don't know the man in question. Elsa, the British member of our pack says she never met him but she hasn't lived in Britain for years. She also lived mainly in the back streets of London where the Undead lurk, so it's possible if he's a bitten that he wouldn't have gone there._

Hermione's heart pounded in her chest. She felt a little scared of the kindly teacher now she knew this was true.

_Of course, it's nothing to be afraid of. I presume he's taking the Wolfsbane potion which renders him harmless at full moon. He should be glad that he's not a bred werewolf - I suffer terribly from PLT (Pre-Lunar Tension) and we have to change into a wolf for the whole full moon week, rather than the one night. We're also synaesthetes, which means we see smells. This is just a bit annoying. Bread for example, is a bright tingly blue which gives me a headache. Blood is a deep mahogany red bass. _

_So if he knows you know, tell him to thank his lucky stars!_

_Amelia_

Oh yes. She'll just run up and tell him he's lucky to have been bitten by a werewolf.

Perhaps she shouldn't write to Amelia anymore.

* * *

After Christmas, Hermione felt an itching urge to tell someone how she felt. About everything, the firebolt and Crookshanks and Scabbers…. 

She pulled a piece of parchment towards her self, inked her quill and begin writing frenziedly.

**a/n: i know this came out quickly but i just wrote it out this evening. there'll be more...Amelia shall come to england! lol ")**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chappie is rather long, so just stick with it lol **

**_Three years later_**

It was midnight, and the night was warm, still and dark. A figure in a long cloak wove carefully through the still crowded back streets of old London Town.

These weren't any old back alley ways though. Don't wander off the beaten path to explore these winding pathways.

These streets are where the undead roam.

* * *

The figure walked briskly down what was effectively the high street of the Undead area of London. It was busy and the low roar of talking and general humdrum louder than usual. 

A Dark Wizard was gaining power, and that definitely meant better chances for the more unscrupulous members of the Undead community.

Ghouls talked darkly at rickety tables under ripped and ragged café awnings. An exhausted looking zombie waitress was carrying heavy trays of raw meat to them. They were so heavy in fact, that her grey hands and the tray kept falling to the ground with loud clatters.

Some of the last revenant's in Britain were at the same café - The Necromancer. They were whispering and kept jabbing fingers at a old map laying on their table.

A creaking sign over a dark doorway next door to the café advertised Oriental medicine and acupuncture. A seedy looking Jiang Shi stood in the doorway, running fingernails through a straggly beard.

The shop opposite from these two advertised 'Coffin fashions'. Three Vampire girls, clad in heavy velvet formal wear, exited bearing a dozen large bags and comparing their purchases.

A lost and found office stood next to the clothes shop, a grey sign stating they could find anything for anyone. A Grey Lady was inside talking loudly about how her teeth had been stolen from her grave, and how she wanted them back. The figure in the cloak looked at the sign for a second then carried on.

A second later it was stopped by a trio of mylings, asking if the figure needed it's shoes shined, or any errands ran or perhaps a guide around the city? No, sir? Are you sure sir? We offer our services at a very good price sir! After finally shaking them off, the figure continued on it's way.

A Will o' the wisp stood behind a little market stall selling horn lamps.

A troupe of dancing skeletons had drawn quite a large crowd. Suddenly, one completely collapsed in a pile of dust. The crowd laughed and clapped, throwing money into a sparkly top hat.

A spectre stood floating a couple of inches above the ground, shook a collection tub. It was raising money for the protection of a ruin in Scotland, which was apparently going to be turned into a holiday camp by muggles.

A inferi and a lich were having a argument in pavement bar. They seemed to be arguing over who was the most powerful. A yellowing mummy with trailing bandages rapped his knuckles on the bar for drinks. A mummy woman, child, baby and dog sat on a nearby table.

A elegant, yet shabby, building stood next to the bar. A brass plaque on the oak door read, 'Mr Slant and Mr Chriek ESQ. Zombie and vampire lawyers.'

A thin figure leant against this building, smoking. He appeared to be wearing a folded leather cape. He was holding a sign that read 'Banshee for hire.'

Two bogeymen walked past from a opposite street, laughing between themselves. One offered to buy the other a pint.

The cloaked figure had reached the end of the 'high street' and turned into the left street. This one was silent, shabby Victorian terraces lining both sides of the road; there was no pavement. Two white faced children leant out a first story window, with black hair and eyes. A shambling woman in white passed the figure, muttering to herself. She appeared to be covered in blood, and a small blue china bowl followed her, floating lazily in the air.

The figure went past a group of old fashioned tin bins, and two shucks were foraging in it, the red glow from their saucer eyes lighting up the street. One padded up to the figure, all three tails wagging. The figure patted it on the head, and the single red eye closed happily.

The figure neared a Tudor style pub. A wooden sign creaked slowly in the wind. It read, 'Thee Vixene.' A figure of a young girl stood outside, leaning against the wall smoking.

"Password?" She asked as the figure drew near, stubbing out her cigarette under a grimy trainer. "Hey, I wouldn't normally ask Y'know, but tonight I've got special orders. Gotta check that only the right people are in tonight." She said apologetically, spreading her hands wide at the sight of his expression.

"Fine, fine. _Silver. _"

"Not the most imaginative of wolves, is Fenrir Greyback. _Silver_? Honestly!" The young girl shook her head, smirking. "Oh and Sandrine says she made meatballs for dinner, and they're in the oven warm for when you want them."

The figure nodded and stepped inside the building.

* * *

The Vixen was a large, low ceilinged nightclub. There was a oak bar at the end nearest the door, a seating area full of rickety old tables and chairs with red dribbly candles on them. A black pewter candelabra hung from the ceiling, giving off soft, pleasant light. At the far end there was a stage, were currently a band was playing. 

"_People are strange, when you're a stranger, faces look ugly when your alone…" _Sung the female blonde singer, playing a bass guitar.

Above this room, there were several small rooms for let and a tiny kitchen.

The place was packed tonight; all the eye could see were heads bent low over tables and the occasionally glimmer of light reflected from a glass or tankard.

A young woman with green skin, ruddy hair, cheeks and lips sat at the bar cleaning glasses. She wore what looked like a sparkly red leotard. The figure approached her, and she gave a start, and pointed a wand at it.

"Who's there…oh, it's _you _Remus! Don't you surprise me like that again!" She placed a hand on her chest. "You would've had me heart pounding like a wild thing, if it could still beat."

Remus Lupin pulled off his cloak and handed it to the woman who placed it under the bar.

"Sorry Rosie, didn't mean too. The shucks are raiding from the bins again; you might have to move them."

"Again?" Rosie sighed. "Them things are nothing but a menace! I've a right mind to complain to that family, letting their dogs run loose round the street. It's not hygienic!" She sniffed angrily.

"Have they been here long?" Remus asked quietly. Rosie shot a glance to one of the tables closest to the bar. It was completely surrounded by a group of people, whispering darkly.

"Nah, they haven't. Barely arrived just before you. Hang on… oh lor they want more bull's blood. I'll be out soon, then what'll my beetotallers say? They'll complain and then they'll go hunting and catch some poor muggle…" She scowled, shaking her head. "Can you help me off my stump Remus? I'm getting rheumatism in my middle, it makes moving very difficult."

He nodded and grabbed her arms, pulling her forward. Rosie smiled, and pulled the top half of her body along the bar. She reached a bar tap, poured out ten pint glasses of a dark red liquid, placed them on a tray and turned, seemingly to put the tray on nothingness.

A second later, a pair of legs joined to what used to be Rosie's waist and hips (Still clad in the bottom half of a sparkly red leotard, laddered tights and red sparkly high heels) with the tray balanced on top set off precariously to the table. Lupin followed slowly, waiting to join the table after the drinks had arrived.

"You're late." A voice hissed from the middle of a smoke cloud.

"Sorry, I got held up by that spectre on the way here. The one collecting for charity…" There was a grunt of aggrement around the table. Lupin picked the tray up from the legs and placed it in the centre of the table. Hands grabbed for the glasses and the meeting continued as if Lupin hadn't even arrived.

"…so he's saying for definite that we can have as many victims as possible?" Asked a woman to his left. The man in the smoke cloud nodded, grinning.

Lupin stopped listening. He had been a spy here for three months, and every week it was the same story. The werewolves, lead by Fenrir Greyback (the man in the smoke cloud) who had been discriminated at for years by normal wizarding society were slowly, but surely siding with Lord Voldemort. He did promise them freedoms they had been denied of for years. Lupin found that his reasoned arguments weren't working with them. It seemed Lord Voldemort would have the full support of the werewolf community in Britain.

He turned his attention to the band instead. They'd been playing a lot recently and a large group of undead teenagers were in the tiny dance floor in front of the stage.

"_An angel walked amongst us, tried but couldn't love us, something's wrong _…" Sang the blonde girl. The crowd gave a whoop. She smiled and waved randomly at the crowd.

"_So tell me how it feels, tell me how it feels, to touch the flame, tell me who I am, tell me who I really am, what's my name…"_

* * *

"…And this is our last song tonight. It's called The killing moon, and it's by Echo & The bunny men…"

The meeting had finished over an hour ago, with a final whisper to Lupin, "Next week's password is _Wulver_. Don't be late next time."

He'd stayed in the seating area, watching the band.

"_Under blue moon I saw you, so soon you'll take me, up in your arms, too late to beg you or cancel it, though I know it must be the killing time, unwillingly mine_…"

"Good aren't they?" Said a voice next to him. Sandrine, the cook, had come down from her kitchen to watch the band. She was a neurotic teenage vampire who had a slight obsession for pink jumpers, and an expression like a puppy who's been kicked.

Lupin gave a grunt of ascent.

"I've been coming down to watch them for the past few weeks. They're excellent!"

"_In starlit nights I saw you, so cruelly you kissed me, your lips a magic world, your sky all hung with jewels, the killing moon, will come too soon_…"

"Did you get the message from Mal? Your meatballs are in the oven, but I think they've got a bit over cooked. They've been in there for hours!"

"_Fate, up against your will, through the thick and thin, he will wait until, you give yourself to him…"_

"Yes I got the message. I just wasn't hungry."

"Right, right. I should go up and make some fresh ones then." Sandrine got up quickly and hurried out.

* * *

The Vixen was now closed. Rosie (or at least the top half) was sat up on the bar, cleaning and stacking glasses. Sandrine had brought a steaming hot plate of fresh meatballs down for Lupin to eat, and was now hovering nervously nearby in case something happen. Maladicta (the girl outside who served as a bouncer) had come inside, and was running around inside for no particular reason.

Lupin sat at the bar eating.

It was strange how in a way, he didn't really want to leave The Vixen. While he hated the idea of being 'where he deserved, with his own kind', the staff at The Vixen were friendly. Rosie had seen right through him when he arrived as a spy for The Order, but understood why, and gave him the most comfortable guest room, even helping Lupin with information about certain people.

Sandrine liked cooking, so for the first time in many years, Lupin found himself with three hot, square meals a day, thanks to her.

Maladicta…well, to start she was a werewolf too. Not from Britain, but Europe. Where, she wouldn't say. She wouldn't answer how she was a werewolf either, just shaking and dropping things when you asked her.

"Them organised werewolves had a nasty civil war. It only ended a few years ago. Anyway, folks escaping from that came over here in their droves. That's how Maladicta got over here. But don't be asking her no questions about it, she don't like remembering it for a good reason. They were vicious, they was." Rosie had informed Lupin when he'd asked her about the girl.

Maladicta was one of the few werewolves he'd managed to convince to support wizards. She was very open minded and was raring to join The Order itself when Lupin told her about it. However, as she couldn't perform magic (she probably could, but she wasn't trained. Didn't even have a wand.) Lupin had politely but forcefully told her no.

"Did you see how great they were? They were great, weren't they? Next biggest thing on the Undead music they say. The Howlers are brilliant!" Maladicta apparently was a fan of the band on tonight.

"Undead music scene? Didn't know there was one." Rosie said, jokingly.

"OF course there is! Where were you buried, in the middle of the China sea?" Maladicta rolled her eyes. Rosie laughed and Sandrine gave a little titter.

There was a knock at the doors.

"Mail call!" yelled Maladicta, leaping over tables and chairs in her excitement.

"That girl is going to kill herself some day." Muttered Rosie under her breath. Lupin chuckled and pushed his plate away. Sandrine swooped on it.

"Did you like it? Was it all right? Was it too hot? Too cold? Grisly? Flat?"

"They were just fine Sandrine."

The vampire gave a half nod, grabbed the plate and darted upstairs.

"I swear she gets worse everyday! I wish she'd have a nice bull's blood someday or just get herself an Igor. She'd be more vampirish. She's not enough of a vampire for my liking." Muttered Rosie darkly.

"It was that damn zombie Reg again!" Maladicta fumed as she came back in. "That one obsessed with killing himself? I answered the door and he goes 'Why aren't I dead? I got hit by a car today.' So I yelled at him 'Because you're already dead you thick piece of crap!'" Maladicta sat on a bar stool and sighed theatrically. She held up two letters and a postcard.

An annoying habit of Maladicta's was to read all the post first.

"Right…postcard for Sandrine from her brother…ooh, he's wine tasting in South Africa. How nice…" She threw the postcard in the direction of the stairwell. It missed spectacularly, landing on the magical jukebox instead. She ripped open a brown envelope.

"Gas bill for you Rosie…hmm, quite a lot this month. I think it's because Sandrine been making so much extra food this month…" She handed Rosie the letter. She looked at the last white envelope critically. It had dark, dried red stains on the front.

"I think this one had been sent by owl…don't people realise that banshees eat post owls if they see them?" She tutted loudly whilst ripping it open. She quickly scanned the page.

"Hey, it's for YOU loopy!"

Lupin looked up sharply.

"It's from a woman called Molly. She says that she's inviting you over for Christmas at her house. Cushy….can't remember the last time _I _was invited anywhere for Christmas. Maybe I can come next year? She says, in the PS thingy -what's that called again?- that someone called Nymphadora has been invited too but can't come. Like the name! Better than _Maladicta _any day…HEY!"

The letter had been snatched from her hands by Lupin. He was reading it intently with a sort of _lost _expression on his face.

"I'm sorry ok. But you should know by now I read all letters coming in…" Maladicta babbled on in the background.

"I'm going. Tomorrow." Cut in Lupin. Maladicta's jaw dropped and Rosie looked at him sharply.

"What about Greyback?"

"You'll be able to invent something I'm sure Rosie. You know how this business works."

She nodded, shamelessly.

"But you can't just _go." _Spluttered Maladicta. "They'll know you've gone off to a wizarding family and who'll get the brunt of it? Not Rosie, no one disrespects her. No, ME. The only other werewolf in the place-"

"I'm going." Lupin said firmly. Maladicta opened her mouth to argue then shut it looking mutinous. "I'll settle the bill tomorrow morning." He said to Rosie. She shook her head.

"As long as your under my roof you'll pay no bill. It's on the house. And you," She turned to Maladicta, "Off to bed. It's almost dawn. You should be asleep. Friday night tomorrow, longest night of the week."

Maladicta opened her mouth looking indignant. Rosie pointed sharply at her. The girl got up and stormed upstairs, shouting at Sandrine, who was apparently listening in on the landing.

"You'd better get to bed Remus. You'll have to leave early before the regulars arrive. You don't want them to see you leave."

"And The Shambling Woman?"

"Oh that old bat? She's blind! Haven't you realised yet? Now, go on, get up to bed."

"Goodnight Rosie."

"Goodnight and God bless." She turned back to her glass cleaning and Lupin started to go up the stairwell. Then he came down again, remembering a question he'd been dying to ask Rosie since the day he'd arrived and almost had a heart attack at the sight of her legs walking around by themselves.

"Rosie…"

"Yes?"

"…How did you die?"

She turned to him, staring at him like she couldn't believe what he'd just asked.

"I'm sorry if I'm being-"

"Nah, I don't mind. I get asked every day. It's just taken you a bloody long time to ask! I thought you'd have asked the minute you came in and almost fainted from shock! Anyway, long story short, magic trick accident. I was the glamorous assistant of course. I was in a box for the 'saw-in-half' trick and I got sawn in half. Next thing I can remember after that was waking up in my coffin, thinking 'gor blimey I can't feel my legs!' " She chuckled to herself.

"That's…that's--"

"Don't try to say anything. I knew I shouldn't've worked for a magician called 'Marvo the not so magnificent'."

* * *

Lupin picked up his battered case and walked down the battered stairwell. It was early in the morning and he hoped to leave without waking the others up. However, as he walked down the winding stairs Maladicta caught him.

"HEY HEY he's trying to get away! He's sneaking off without saying goodbye!" She screamed, running forwards and leaping onto his back.

"You don't get away that easily matey!" She hooted as he struggled down the stairs, with her clutching onto his back like a limpet. He forcefully dropped her as soon as he got downstairs.

"Gawd Mal you'll wake the whole neighbourhood up! Can't you be silent for five minutes?" Rosie came down the stairs, her top stump balanced precariously on top of her legs. A silk dressing robe helped to keep her together, but the fluffy bunny slippers she wore just because humans made her laugh.

Sandrine followed, nervously, a huge under wired white nightgown making her look smaller than usual.

"Goodbye and take care of yourself, you hear? I don't want to hear you've got yourself killed or something stupid." Said Rosie, pecking him on the cheek.

"You ever get hungry, just send me a message and I'll fly right over…" Fussed Sandrine.

Lupin assured her that he would and made to go for the door. Maladicta stood in front of it, in her too-big blue and white stripped pyjamas.

"If there's a fight, can I come and fight?"

He nodded, thinking to himself that he would never do that.

Maladicta seemed to know what he was thinking.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay then." She grinned. "Bye de bye loopy. Can I come to this place for Christmas too?"

* * *

The three women watched him from a window. He walked a safe distance away then Disapparated. Rosie drew the curtains quickly.

"Old Finn across the road might have been watching…but he might have just been doing Yoga in his underpants again." She shuddered.

"I hope he's all right wherever he's going. He really reminded me of my father, you know. Decent, like." Sandrine sighed theoretically. She blinked awkwardly a few times, then ran upstairs.

"I swear that vampire's nuts." Muttered Maladicta, who was now sat on the floor playing with a cork.

Rosie mmmed and headed over to the old fashioned phone in the wall. She started dialling quickly.

"Who you calling?" Asked Maladicta.

"Amelia." Answered Rosie distractedly.

"Who's that?"

"Amelia Vuk."

"THE Lady Amelia?" Asked Maladicta excitedly, her eyes bright.

"Yes…oh hello Claude. Is your mistress in? I have a urgent message for her. Yes I can wait."

"You're on first name terms with Lady Amelia?"

"Yes for the last time! She used to live in London….Ammy? Hello! Yes it has been a long time. How's Elsa and Andrei? Good good. Three litters? God, I don't know how you cope. Oh is he now? That's great. I'm calling because I've got that information for you. Yes I know who he is. Yes he bloody well exists, he's spent the last three months here in my club! Decent chap. Very poor. Can't find work. Hmmm….I have no idea whether he'd like to join the pack. I didn't press his status very heavily, he seemed very uncomfortable staying here. He tried his hardest to get information out of young Maladicta here, but you know what most victims of the civil war are like…yes, it was nice to talk. I'll come over soon. The phantom coaches down the road are saying they might expand to Europe. Goodbye!" Rosie put the phone down and rubbed her forehead.

"What was that about?" Asked Maladicta.

"Just some information Amelia wanted."

"She wanted to know about Remus? Why?"

**a/n: well done for getting through that. claps lyrics are Echo and the bunnymen. if you wander what any of the undead creatures are, just ask me. and keep reading! it'll make sense in the end ")**


	8. Chapter 8

_….his godfather's a mass-murderer, would you believe, and escaped to kill him! That's why I told McGonagall about the firebolt. What if it was cursed? I could never have forgiven myself!…._

_…now his rats apparently been eaten by Crookshanks and they've both fallen out with me. I feel so alone…_

_…they joke about SPEW but house elves are treated so horribly. Remember Winky I told you about? How barbaric was her treatment?…_

_…he's going to get hurt I can tell and Ron's not helping. He thinks Harry put his name into the goblet of fire himself which is blatantly not true…_

_…the Yule Ball was yesterday night and what a disaster! I was having such a great time with Viktor then Ron had to go and ruin it all…_

_…I'm still in shock from last evening. Lord Voldemort is back. Harry saw it all, he's in a state of shock and grief at the moment but I think he's going to get angry. Have you heard of Voldemort? I don't suppose you do, you were consumed with that awful civil war of yours…_

_…I'm in a secret hiding place at the moment, and I can't tell you were I am in case this letter gets intercepted. But I can tell you I'm with the Weasley family in London…_

_…Harry's had his letters to Snuffles intercepted so I might not write for a while. I doubt Umbridge would approve of you; she detests 'Half-breeds' and werewolves…_

_…I'm free to write now (Umbridge has left the school! To cut a long story short, she was kidnapped by a herd of centaurs) but Lord Voldemort has openly shown his colours now…_

_…dementors are everywhere; they're breeding and everywhere is foggy. Terrible news though- Madam Bones and Emmeline Vance have been murdered…_

_…Harry keeps suspecting someone in our year of being a death eater. Ron and I think it's preposterous of course. Katie Bell in our house has been taken to St. Mungo's; she touched a cursed necklace…_

_…Ron and I have fallen out. If he didn't go everywhere with that stupid Lavender Brown…._

_…he's always stuck on her face. Then he complains because I might have kissed Viktor!…_

_…he's just so angry at me because I'm in the Slug club…_

_…he got himself poisoned! I can't believe it; it's his birthday and he's been poisoned! It's lucky that Harry managed to give him that bezoar in time…_

_…you won't believe this but it's true. Dumbledore's dead, killed by Professor Snape. Harry saw it all and we had to battle death eaters in Hogwarts itself. The funeral was today and I don't think I'll be able to write again. We're going on a quest, set by Dumbledore for Harry, and it's going to be really dangerous…_

_…this is my last letter Amelia. I'm at Ron's and we might leave any day. I had to modify my parents memories so they can't get hurt. I'm so scared; I might die but we have to do this…_Amelia was sat up in bed, reading the letters from Hermione. The last was post-dated almost a year ago. She sighed and started to reread them again.

Hermione had been a friend. She'd listened to three years of teenage trouble and in return, Hermione had listened to three years worth of violent werewolf politics.

She felt like a daughter to Amelia. She cared about the little human. And she'd never not heard from her for this long before.

It was this mission she had been set by Dumbledore. She'd heard of him from Rosie, who had apparently gone to Hogwarts at some time. But…she was worried. This Dark Lord she talked of…

He sounded like Wolfgang to be completely honest. Evil, sadistic, cruel and of course, completely elitist. But a Wolfgang type with _magic_? The thought was unbearable.

She'd tried sending a message to her, through Maladicta.

She didn't know whether the message had got through.

Maladicta had vanished.

Amelia had stayed up many nights worrying whether Greyback had finally caught her or not.

Jean gave a grunt loudly in his sleep next to her. It broke Amelia's thoughts, so she put the letters back on the bedside table and blew out the candle.

Her yellow eyes stayed open in the darkness though.

* * *

**In England**

There was a loud rap on the door.

In the dead of night.

The baby woke first, crying loudly.

It was quickly quietened.

Footsteps ran softly down the stairs, half muffled.

The figure on the doorstep swayed a little on her feet. So tired, so hungry. But the Lady Amelia had set her a task and she would complete it.

The door opened a creak. A wand was pointing straight at her face.

"Who's there?" Bellowed the man behind the door. The girl on the doorstep smiled vaguely. She knew that voice. She had made it.

"I said, who's there?" The man bellowed again.

"It's-it's me." Whispered the girl through cracked lips. Then she collapsed, falling headfirst into the door. Her nose hit the door with a sickening crunch. She moaned, stars flying inside her head. A strong arm caught her before she fell on the floor. Her head lolled limply on his arm and she could feel warm blood trickling from her nose.

_Fight the urge…_whispered her own voice inside her head_…fight it_

"Who did you stun?" A woman's voice. The girl didn't know her. She sounded scared, panic rising in her voice.

"I didn't stun anyone…" The man sounded worried. He heaved the girl up into a standing position, but her head fell onto his shoulder, and she had no control of her limbs. "Oh Lord…."

"Who is it? _Who is it Remus?"_

"It's…it's Maladicta."

* * *

Lupin tried to hold the girl up, but her limbs had gone flaccid and the ends of her boots scuffed on the floor. He heaved her over the doorstep but her feet smashed into it. The blood from her nose was trickling down her face and onto his shoulder. Having no other choice, Lupin put his other arm under her knees and heaved Maladicta into his arms. 

She was surprisingly light, and when he carried her into the light of the hallway, Lupin noticed a deathly white, yellowish tinge to her skin. Her once plump cheeks had shrivelled, her skin around her cheekbones and eye sockets sunken in. As Lupin carried her through to the sitting room, he realised he could feel her bones through her clothes.

"Who is she?" Asked Tonks as her husband sat the strange girl up on the sofa. She was barely conscious. Her eyes flickered open and shut, her movements sluggish. She reached to a pocket inside her large green parka and pulled out a tiny green bottle.

"Here…put this under my nose…" She pressed the tiny bottle with shaking hands into Lupin's hands.

"Erm...I don't think you can smell it…" Cut in Tonks but the girl shook her head doggedly.

"Just do it…" Then her eyes rolled backwards in her head and she fell back against the sofa. Her arms and legs started twitching oddly.

"Remus, open the bottle…"

"She just broke her nose, I'm sure she'll be fine if I fix it…"

The girl's arms and legs started convulsing, her hands clenching and unclenching, her teeth grinding. Her head started shaking, her nostrils flared, then suddenly she started thrashing herself from side to side.

"Remus, she's having a fit, open the bottle!" Tonks cried, grabbing her feet which had jumped up to her chest and started kicking.

"We should Stun her and take her to a healer at least, anything could be in this bottle…" The girl's eyes suddenly rolled back but they weren't human anymore. They were a bright yellow, with a wide pupil. She started desperately trying to pull away from the two of them, making animal sounding grunts.

"The bottle now Remus!" Screamed Tonks over the girls noises, as she started trying to scrape at her face. Lupin didn't need to be told twice. He wrenched open bottle and shoved it under Maladicta's nose. She took a deep, shuddering breath then immediately stilled. Her eyes slowly rolled back into her head, then came back normal. She sniffed in the bottle again, immediately recoiling away, wrinkling up her nose in disgust.

"Get that stuff away from me! One breath! One breath! Not more!" She batted the bottle away from her face.

"What's in there?" Asked Tonks interestedly, releasing her ankles.

"Never you mind." Muttered Maladicta, gently patting the dried blood on her face cringingly.

Lupin sniffed the open bottle gingery. His eyes watered straight away. It was the most sharp, strong smell imaginable; it _hurt_ to smell it. He put the stopper back in quickly, putting it back in Maladicta's pocket.

"Sorry about that folks! I was pretty near passing out when I got near here, but the blood just pushed me…" Maladicta shuddered, scraping at the dried blood.

"Hang on, I'll do that!" Said Tonks brightly and drew her wand, lining it up with Maladicta's nose. She looked at it then pushed herself as far away from it as humanly possible.

"Not the face…." She looked terrified, her face a shade paler.

"Don't worry…._tergeo_!"

The blood was siphoned off the teenage girl's face and she felt her clean skin, in something close to wonder.

"Wow! Wish I could do magic…"

"Do you want me to fix your nose too?"

"Nah, it'll do that itself, watch…" Maladicta grabbed the tip of her nose and pulled it sharply to the left. It crunched loudly. She then moved it sharply to the right, and it clicked. She wiggled it…and she'd fixed her own nose.

"How did you do that?" Asked Lupin. Maladicta shrugged.

"Always been able to heal myself. Anyway shut up for a second. I've been up and down the country all year looking for you- oh, who are you?" It was like she'd only just noticed Tonks was in the room.

"Hi I'm Tonks, Remus' wife." She held out a hand. Maladicta took it nervously, her eyes darting to Lupin and back to Tonks.

"Wife?" She asked, jaw dropped. "Okay, that's nice. Weird to marry outside our kind but okay."

Tonks scowled at her but Maladicta had carried on talking.

"I've been looking for you for like a year! I've been scrounging letters from bins, following you scent around half of London, asking everyone I could find where you were! I've barely eaten all year; don't have no money."

"And why were you looking for me?"

"For two reasons. Number one, because I need to find Hermione Granger for my Lady. And number two, I have an invitation from my Lady." She stuck her chin out, looking strangely pompous.

"And who is your 'Lady'?" Asked Tonks, rather sharply than she would have done normally.

"My Lady is the Lady Amelia Vuk, alpha-female of the pack loup-garou , of the clan claw, mate of the ex-president of the seven clan government, Jean Loup-de-garou. She sends a invitation." Maladicta pulled out a rather grubby white envelope from an inside pocket and handed it to Lupin.

_To Professor R . J. Lupin, and whomever it may concern,_ it said on the front in a rather curly script in red ink.

Inside was a gold and lace bordered white card.

_To Professor R . J. Lupin and whomever it may concern, of Clan undecided, pack undecided, of England._

_The Lady Amelia Vuk sends you her best wishes and may moons be strong and full!_

_She expresses an invitation to you for you to join her pack, the pack Loup-garou._

_The territory is in France, with the lair being in the Southern French wine district._

_The lair is the Château étaient le loup. Most phantom carriages will be able to take you there by only the name of the place._

_You may bring whatever family members you wish (Be it mates, parents or litters)_

_This will only be offered once._

The card was signed with a elaborate signature and a ink seal, of a tiny wolf howling at the moon.

Lupin stared at it in disbelief.

"How-how does she know I exist?" He asked quietly.

"Oh well, here's the story. She came over to The Vixen and asked me to find a girl called Hermione Granger. A human girl, cos she was worried about her for some reason. I ask well, how do I do that. She thought for a second, then said well, she did mention one of our kind. I go all right then, we find them, we find her. So the Lady Amelia pulled out a letter from her bodice and said this guy and tapped it. You'd never believe it, but it were your name! So I goes hey I know that guy! She goes really? I go yeah and she says then I already know where you are. But of course, you never left an actual address so I was a bit stumped there and so was she."

"So how did you find us then?"

"I tole her you left no address but she goes you're a werewolf aint ya? I go yah. She gets in a right hissy, saying then track him down! She asked me do you remember his scent. I go yeah, a kinda greeny-purple with a 'ker-doosh' sound, really weird ya know. She cuts across me saying well track him down then you silly mutt! And, that's it." She finished lamely. She started picking at her cuticles nervously.

"And why would she want to find Remus?" Tonks asked, arms folded, hair tips red. Maladicta shrugged, still playing with her fingers. She scrunched and stretched them, giggling.

"And why would Hermione tell this woman about me?"

"I don't know! Don't ask the messenger, ask the person who sends the messenger!" Maladicta snapped at Lupin, still scrunching up her fingers and stretching them out. Each time she did it, a sliver of black appeared at the edge of her fingers.

"What are you doing Maladicta?"

"Just playing with my metamorphic field…look…" She stretched out her fingers again, and instead of the little nibbled nails, there were black claws sticking out her nail beds. "I only do it when I'm nervous." She gave a grin. "So, what do you say?"

"About what?"

"The invite! It's such an honour, I can't believe she asked you! Normally you have to do some tasks before they even consider initiating you to that pack but look! You got right in!" She looked at Lupin to Tonks with something close to happy envy.

"Yes well I don't think we'll be goin-" Lupin started, putting the card back in its envelope but Tonks cut across him.

"Why not? It's wouldn't hurt to just have a look around would it?"

"This 'Chateau' (if that's what it really is) is full of…of…my kind! I don't want to bring you and Teddy into that atmosphere!"

"What's it like there Maladicta?" Tonks turned to the girl, completely ignoring her husband.

"Oh it's great there, but I just wanna ask who's Teddy?"

"It's our son. He's upstairs with my mother."

Maladicta's entire attitude to Tonks completely changed. She bowed her head and started showing a very clear view of her neck.

"That's nice ma'am. Very nice indeed. Anyway ma'am, the Chateau. I've only been there once but it's such a lovely place. The gardens are ever so pretty ma'am, with fountains, and flower beds, and the most hum'rous shapes that the hedges are cut into and there's even a maze! And inside, ah, it's just bliss! There's a little door cut in the front door so you can come in when your Changed ma'am. It's all lace and carved wood and marble and silk inside! There's a big warm kitchen with a big fireplace and plenty of food! I thought I'd have to sleep there, but they gave me my own room and everything! It had a jug and pitcher, and clean bed sheets! You'd love it there ma'am!"

Tonks blinked at the sudden new found respect for herself from the girl. Maladicta kept giving little half-nods at her.

"Why are you calling 'ma'am' and why are you holding your head like that?"

"Because-you're-the-alpha-female-ma'am." Said the girl as fast as she could. Tonks' eyes widened at this, then shrugged.

"Alpha female? Well…that's interesting. How?"

"Cos you're the mother…an alpha female and her mate only ones 'lowed to have children normally, cept for Lady Amelia and all that." Maladicta looked at her, as if to say 'how could you NOT know that??'

An owl suddenly flew into the sitting room window, with a loud screech. Lupin, who had been leant against the fireplace in silent protest, opened the window and it hopped in. He took the scribbled note it had clamped in its beak.

"Lord…a battle at Hogwarts has started. I have to be there as soon as possible."

* * *

Lupin came back downstairs from getting dressed to find the two women waiting in the hall for him. 

"We're going with you." They said as one. Lupin noticed they even had the same pose- but he saw Maladicta kept flicking her eyes to Tonks, desperate to emulate her.

"No." He turned to his wife. "I want you to stay here with Teddy, safe."

"_**I'm**_ the auruor in this family!"

"And you," he turned to Maladicta, "You can't even do magic."

"Oh yeah, discriminate against them races that don't have your special gift! You promised I could come and fight and fight I shall!"

"What? She gets to go and I **DON'T**?"

"He promised me I could!"

"Dora I can't let you come with me. There has to be someone there for Teddy if…if I die." Lupin put his hands on Tonks' shoulders and gently shook her. She nodded slowly, blinking back tears.

Maladicta clicked her tongue next to them.

"C'mon, all the good people will be dead….sorry. You're having a 'moment'."

The couple looked into each other's eyes for a second, hugged tightly then Lupin broke away, striding down the drive. Maladicta ran after him, her brown eyes glinting yellow in the darkness.

"Maladicta, stay with Dora…"

"Uh uh." She turned to face Lupin, and he saw that her eyes had gone fully yellow, with wide pupils. "You chose this path, and now our kind are going to follow it."

* * *

**A/N: eurgh, man is this chapter crappy! i hate it...but next chapter is when amelia comes back properly into the story. if anyone can write a little ryhme about losing someone that you think a Amelia's pack might sing can you PM me it please? I'm thinking of killing one of the pack so i wanted a little song to make it a 'moment' lol**

**")**


	9. Chapter 9

Lupin Appariated (with Maladicta as a side-along) into the Hog's Head. Aberforth gave a curt head nod to a picture on the wall, of a young girl and a passageway. Maladicta gave it a quick sniff then jumped in, running down the passageway to the door. Lupin followed cautiously, slowly opening the door.

"-what do you mean, 'you're here with Lupin?" Bellowed George Weasley, waving a wand in Maladicta's face.

"Tell us the truth about how you got here. Are you a Death eater?" Joined in Dean Thomas, his wand in Maladicta's face. Other various members of the DA had their wands pointing at her as well.

Maladicta looked nervously around at the many wands pointed at her face and started to back away. Fred Weasley opened his mouth and raised his wand….

"Fred, NO!" Lupin ran over and grabbed his arm before he could curse the girl (who was cowering against a wall, hands over her face.) "She's telling the truth. She is with me."

"Oh. Sorry." Maladicta peered out from behind her fingers, saw the wands had been lowered, and darted forwards to stand behind Lupin. "Where's Tonks?"

"He told her to stay behind." Piped up Maladicta before Lupin could say anything. Fred blinked in surprise at her then turned back to Lupin.

"We're just waiting for others to arrive, Y'know, more Order members and DA members…and Harry of course." Lupin nodded at this and sat down in a nearby chair.

"Well, I really must be going…got people to track down for my Lady…" Maladicta made her way for the door.

"Do you even know where she is?" Asked Lupin before she got there.

"No, but I know that she left this room. My Lady gave me one of her letters so that I knew her scent. I can tell she left this room but it gets fuzzy just about here…." She stopped halfway to the door and stamped one foot. "Damn this stupid flabby form! I can't smell things properly with this stupid _human_ nose." She prodded it angrily.

"Then there's nothing else you can do. Stay here, and look for Hermione later."

"Hermione?" Piped up Luna, who had been looking at Maladicta closely. "She went somewhere with Ron I believe."

"I need to find her now!" Maladicta cried desperately, then gave a look as if she was persuading herself do something. "It would be for the best….but my Lady told me not to scare him….when my Lady arrives she'll do it herself!…she might not, she is an excellent witch…no, it must be done. It must be done!" She muttered to herself, then sat down on the floor, pulling her boots off.

"Here, hold these." She flung the boots into a surprised Oliver Wood's arms. "You hold this." She handed her coat to Seamus Finnigan. "Socks or no socks d'you think?" She suddenly shot at Lupin, who didn't really now what to say.

"I suppose it doesn't really matter, I can always get new socks." She pulled off her jumper, which she threw at Parvati's head, revealing an extremely baggy black t-shirt.

"Maladicta, what are you do-"

"Never you mind. You'll see in a minute." Muttered Maladicta, undoing the top button of her trousers before crouching on the floor.

"One…two…three…" She whispered, and on three gave a giant leap into the air.

* * *

It seemed as in slow motion. The legs and arms shortened, buckling and the edges grew fuzzy. Maladicta's face was one of complete concentration, but the roundness of her face was changing, as if someone was squeezing her head in a clamp. The nose was lengthening and getting wider, her ears moving up her skull, her skin bubbling like wax…her hair was shrinking in, yet more was growing. Her fingers were shortening and moving closer together. There was a loud ripping noise, and the t-shirt fells away in shreds, the trousers too as a tail grew from them… 

It lasted less than a second. A small, thin, chocolate brown wolf landed on the floor, to many exclamations from the people around it. It turned to Lupin, who was sat aghast, blinked it's yellow eyes once and ran out the door.

_Such wonderful smells!_ Thought the wolf part of Maladicta's brain as she sprinted up a dark corridor. _What_ _a rainbow symphony! Oooooooooo I can smell cat! Get the cat! Get the cat!_ She changed direction swiftly, her tongue hanging out slightly as she followed the scent of a cat.

_NO! _Screamed the human part of the wolf's brain_ Find the girl! You must find the girl for your Lady! We can catch the cat later!_

_Okay_ agreed the wolf part and it ran along, following the human girl's scent.

She ran quickly, nose to the floor. The scent, which was mixed with one of a young male, turned swiftly to the left. Into a large bathroom. Maladicta quivered a little and slunk into the dark room. Two humans were standing next to a sink, the young female shouting at a young male.

"-Try again Ron! You almost had it!"

"I'm trying my best Hermione!"

_Hermione._

_I'VE FOUND HER!_

The wolf jumped from the shadows and grabbed the girl's arm. She screamed, but Maladicta held on, biting gently and pulling her to the door.

The male bellowed and poked Maladicta in the head with his broom. Then brought it down on her forehead sharply.

Seeing stars, the wolf let go. The girl ran crying to the male who drew a wand and pointed it at her.

Seeing no other option, Maladicta Changed back. She changed back into her now naked form, crouching on the floor. The female screamed and the male went very pale, saying "Blimey!"

"Hermione Granger," Croaked Maladicta. The girl looked at her sharply. "I have been sent by my Lady, the Lady Amelia…"

"Lady Amelia?" The girl ran forwards until she was face to face with Maladicta. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"You must follow me." Maladicta promptly Changed into her wolf form and ran to the door.

The girl shot one look back to the male, said "Keep trying!" then ran after Maladicta.

* * *

Hermione wanted to ask where they were going, but the girl was bounding along as a brown wolf. So, no possibility of question time. The wolf was running ahead of her, occasionally stopping to make sure she was still there. 

"It's not m-my fault!" Panted Hermione as they reached what felt like the fiftieth corridor. "I'm not a wolf!" The wolf gave a strange noise, like a chuckle, as if to say 'Yeah, I know you're not a wolf. That's what makes this funny!'

It then carried on running. Then it stopped, next to a door. McGonagall's office. Hermione, still catching her breath, opened the door and the wolf ran in, standing next to the fireplace. It gave a bark.

"We're Flooing?" Asked Hermione and the wolf barked again, seemingly in agreement. "Okay…" Hermione grabbed a pot of sparkling powder from the mantelpiece and quickly lit a fire with her wand. She flung a pich of the powder on the fire and the flames turn a dazzling emerald green. The wolf barked something at the flames, grabbed Hermione's arm with its mouth and leapt into the fire, pulling her with it. Her, even. It was hard to think of the brown wolf as the girl who had crouched on the bathroom floor.

She felt her head smack against a low mantelpiece and went sliding across a marble floor. The she-wolf walked calmly from the fire, shaking the ashes from its coat. with shaking hands, Hermione pushed herself up. She was standing in a beautiful entrance hall, with white marble floors and walls, a golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling, white silk couches and white marble statues everywhere.

She stood gaping at it when a man with a thin, pointed moustache and a black jacket pulled over his nightshirt came bustling in.

"Who are- Oh, hello Maladicta dear. Is this the girl Lady Amelia was looking for?" Asked the man to a figure behind her.

Hermione turned round to see a dark haired, emaciated girl stood up brushing ash from her arms. She quickly turned around, as the girl was completely naked. Unashamedly so, she acted as if it was _normal _to walk around starkers!

"Hello Claude. Get her will you? Quickly." The man nodded turned to the white marble staircase then gasped.

"It will not be needed. She is here already." Said a golden voice from the stairway.

* * *

A/N: **Just wanted to clear a few points up that havent been explained yet becuase of the flow of my story.**

**1. Bred werewolves (which are what Amelia and Maladicta are) are werewolves of three or more generations of pure, untainted wolf blood. (No yennorks.)**

**2. Bred werewolves can Change even when it isn't a full moon. They only have to change at full moon, as their bodies force them too. It is also painless, as they haven't had werewolf DNA forced upon themselves like bitten ones have.**

**3. Staying in either form too long can mean that their other mind can slip away from them. For example, stay too long in wolf form and your human form and mind will suffer (E.g. speaking in single words, trying to clean your human body like a cainine, scratching with feet and marking furniture.)**

**4. The 'fit' Maladicta had in the last chapter was a bred werewolf response to blood. Blood is the only other thing that force a bred werewolf to revert into their wolf form. It's almost unstoppable, which is why Maladicta went into such a fit- she didn't want to have to change.**

**4A. The bottle by the way was full of wolfsbane- strong enough to scare away the wolf side of herself.**

**5. As I said earlier without explaining properly, bred werewolves are _synaesthetes_. This means they see smells as colours (So a footprint trail would literally be a glowing line) and with accomanying sound effects. This is why Maladicta describes Lupin as 'Greeny-purple with a ker-dosh sound' and why she describes Hogwarts as a rainbow sympthony. Also, when they stay human for a long period of time, this skill tends to fade away, as a human nose is nothing compared to a wolf nose.**

**I know no-one asked about these but I did want to explain them so people would understand these traits before any of the characters explain them. It will also help explain why (in future chapters) Lupin feels very inadqueate when with bred werewolves- they are the same, yet so different.**

**I based bred werewolves on Discworld wolves beacuse Angua rocks. **

**And one last comment, all werewolves share a weakness for silver, and all are very,very strong. Also, to be noted, there are only two things that can truly kill a werewolf. But I'm not telling you what!**

**with one last wink, littledevildrummagirl**

**")**

**(oh, and if anyone has any ideas for names in the pack that would BE VERY HELPFUL! i only have a few worked out so i need some inspiration!! i dont care if its your own name lol!)**


	10. Chapter 10

In the Room of Requirement, everyone was talking. Quietly. They were waiting. Waiting for Harry to come back. Waiting for him to give them their orders, and to tell them what was happening.

The fireplace gave a sudden flicker, and a very confused pebble bounced out. No one noticed. No one had even noticed that the fireplace (which hadn't been there a moment again) was there.

Until, they could hear screaming coming from it. It sounded very far away, and echoed as if coming out a long tube. People looked warily at it, a few even walking up and looking inside the chimney shaft to see what was happening.

"OUTOFMYWAYI'MCOMINGAHHHHSOMEONECATCHMEIDON'THINKICANSTOP!" Screamed a familiar voice.

"Isn't that Her-" Started Neville Longbottom, but before he could finish, Hermione Granger hurtled out of the fireplace and flew straight into him, sending him to the ground.

"Oh I'm so sorry Neville!" Hermione pulled an extremely winded Neville to his feet, who could only nod and agree, holding his stomach.

"WOWTHISISSOCOOLINEVERGETFEDUPOFTHISTHING!" Laugh another voice, and a second later, Maladicta slid out. She'd been sliding slightly more elegantly than Hermione and landed on the floor. Admittedly on her bottom, but she hadn't flown into any one. She was now wearing a very baggy dress type thing and got up, brushing ashes off her bottom.

"I never get fed up of that! I love Amelia's fireplace!"

Hermione frowned slightly at this, but then laughed, brushing ash off herself too.

A man came out the fireplace, sliding out onto his feet. He carried a standard, which depicted a bright yellow moon and a tiny wolf. He stood to the left of the fireplace, trying to look important. He cleared his throat loudly.

"The Lady Amelia Vuk shall grace your presence in a matter of moments. Please all rise and stand for the Crusher of Wolfgang the evil, defender of the Yennork and alpha female of the most powerful pack in all the lands."

Everyone looked at him curiously, but looked to the fireplace.

There were no screams.

No noise.

A small amount of smoke billowed up in the fireplace, obscuring it from view.

Maladicta clicked her tongue loudly. "Always have to show off…"

A green shoe emerged from the smoke. The assorted members of the DA and the Order took a deep breath.

A woman, whose hand rested upon the hand of a tall, muscular man, stepped into the room.

Her yellow eyes immediately locked with everyone in the room and she smiled.

Not a friendly smile, but a graceful smile.

"My comrades…." She spoke huskily, and spread her right hand wide.

She stepped fully into the room, her emerald green Victorian dress sending many shimmering green lights around the room.

The man at her side sniffed a little. The woman chuckled and shook her head a little at him, sending ripples cascading through her long, ashy blond ringlets.

"Jean, Jean….you know me. I must make a entrance!" She laughed, a sunny laugh, that made her eyes sparkle.

The man called Jean grunted. He broke apart from her and stood at the right of the fireplace, rapping it three times.

The woman turned to Maladicta and pinched one cheek. "You took your time but you finally did it. Well done my child." She kissed the girl on her forehead.

She turned to Hermione and smiled. "My dear girl…you have had me most worried these past few months…you are safe now though, but the greatest barrier has yet to be conquered." She kissed Hermione too on her forehead. "Now where is the other?"

The crowd around her parted, as if magically, to reveal a stunned looking Lupin. He had been surveying the scene, rather aghast. The woman now walked towards him, hands out. He stood up and she smiled kindly at him.

"My dear boy…how charming it is to meet you at last!" She kissed him too, on both cheeks. "Time has been hard but it can only get better…" She smiled. "You must meet my pack." She grabbed a hand and pulled Lupin to the fireplace.

Around sixteen people stood there, having entered the room silently. The woman gestured to herself.

"I am Lady Amelia Vuk. I am alpha female of this pack." She laid a hand on the tall man who she had entered the room. He clicked his heels together and bowed his head to Lupin.

"This is my mate, Jean Loup-de-garou. He is alpha-male."

He was tall, muscular, with light brown hair. He was also a good six inches taller than Lupin. But he beamed down at him, which gave him a friendly air.

Next, a couple with a young girl. The woman, short and round, the man tall and thin, with little wire rimmed glasses. The young girl was tall and thin too, long black hair obscuring her face.

"This is Elsa and Andrei Emmingtine, with their eldest daughter Violet. She is old enough to fight in her very first battle." Amelia pinched the girls cheek smiling, but the girl remained scowling at the ground. "I remember when I was a child there were battles all the time…"

She dragged Lupin to the next couple, who were both tall and dark haired. They had two children with them, boy and girl twins. The boy was grinning widely and the girl, who had dark bunches, was looking round the room with interest.

"Joanna and Ivan Hamstel, with their eldest children Dimitri and Polly."

After them, was a brown haired, rather austere looking woman with three girls, who were all rather pretty.

"Allisandra Pecan and her daughters, Artemesia, Desdemona and Eilish. Her husband is not here, as he is a yennork and cannot perform magic."

Then, a couple and a young man. The woman was short, thin with short auburn hair, the man with brown hair with a prominent wave. The young man was a strange mix of the two.

"Jasmine Simp and her husband Jonathan. This is their eldest, Bertram."

Lastly, a young Nordic looking woman with light blue eyes and pale blonde hair. She was dressed more up to date than the others, (indeed, her t-shirt bore the legend 'Nice shoes….wanna fuck??') and was the only one with a wand in her hand.

"Last but not least, this is Lara Keystone. Her father was member of the pack, which is why she is here. She is also a very skilled witch."

The girl smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Honestly Amelia, you make me sound a complete human!" She giggled.

Amelia smiled and turned to Lupin.

"Do you think we shall be enough? I can always contact more packs, or perhaps The Seven Clan Government for some of their battle squads…"

"What do you mean?" Asked Lupin, confused as to why she would be considering him so very important.

"Is there enough of our kind?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"Enough of our kind? What do you mean?"

Amelia drew herself up, looking haughty.

"It is time for the Wider werewolf world to sit up on their hind legs and take notice of what is happening past their own snouts. Tonight, we fight. For wizard kind!"

* * *

**a/n: thank you for all reviews and name ideas!! ive tried to get as many as i could into the story, but others will be for the children left at home. **

**i know its short, but i wanted all the introductions done in one chapter, with nothing else happening.**

**so, to battle!**

**")**


	11. Chapter 11

"Wh-?" The door to the Room of Requirement opened and Harry Potter stepped in. it was much more crowded than it had been the last time he had been in. indeed, there were people he didn't even know there.

One was a ashy-blond haired woman, who was very pretty, who had been talking to Lupin. They both turned to Harry and she beamed at him.

"Harry, what's happening?" Asked Lupin at the foot of the stairs.

"Voldemort's on his way, they're barricading the school -Snape's run for it- what are you doing here? How did you know? Who are you?" He added to the woman next to Lupin. She gave a tinkling laugh.

"Just someone come to help a friend of a friend." Her eyes twinkled at this.

"We sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's Army." Explained Fred, coming forward. "You couldn't expect everyone to miss the fun, Harry, and the DA let the Order of the phoenix know, and it all kinda snowballed."

"And all those people?" Asked Harry pointing to around sixteen people stood in one corner, who he had never seen before, and almost all clad in old fashioned clothes. The single one who wasn't waved at him, beaming.

"Those are Lady Amelia's pack." Replied Fred, nodding towards the blond haired woman.

"Your pack?" Harry asked confused. Packs? Aren't they for animals, like wolves….

"Yes. My pack. I am a werewolf, like your dear Professor here."

Harry felt his jaw drop. He would never had suspected the smiling, young woman next to him was a werewolf. She was so different from Lupin; she had laughter lines instead of ones of misery, and she looked so young compared to him…not tired, just happy…

"What first Harry?" Called George, breaking into his trail of thought. "What's going on?"

"They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organised. We're fighting."

The assorted crowd cheered and ran for the door, wands raised. Only a small gaggle of people remained; the pack and Lady Amelia, Lupin, Harry, Fred, George, Bill, Fleur. Mrs Weasley was struggling with Ginny, trying to hold her back.

"You're under-age! I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you've got to go home!"

"I won't! They have their children with them, they're younger than I am!" Ginny screamed at her mother, pointing wildly at the gaggle of werewolf children who jumped at being mentioned.

"We have our one ways dear. We are allowed to fight at thirteen. You cannot try to live by our standards." Said Elsa Emmingtine kindly.

Ginny looked like she wished to scream at her too but she bit back her tongue.

"We know this will be dangerous. I'll probably die anyway." Said Violet gloomily, scratching her chin. "Notice how the pretty human girl has to get sent home, but the ugly freak has to stay and endanger her life."

Elsa sighed and shook her head. She grabbed the top half of her daughter's arm and turned to Amelia.

"We should go now. Leave them to have their moment."

Amelia nodded and called out a few words in a strange growly language. The other werewolves followed her out of the Room of Requirement.

* * *

"We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast! A battle plan has been organised between the teachers of Hogwarts and members of the order. Professors Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers - Ravenclaw, Astronomy and Gryffindor- where they'll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells."

They were now in the Great Hall, grouped around Kingsley Shacklebolt. Moments before, Voldemort's chilling message had boomed across the grounds. Now they were being told where they were going to be positioned.

"Meanwhile Remus, Arthur and myself will take groups into the grounds. How many of you will be coming with us?" He added to Amelia who was stood behind him.

"All the adults."

"Right. We'll need someone to organise defence of the entrances of the passageways into the school-"

"-Sounds like a job for us." Called Fred indicating himself and George. Kingsley nodded his approval.

"The children shall go with you, apart from Maladicta and Lara." Added Amelia, to which Maladicta looked at her incredulously, then kicked a table huffily, muttering, "But I wanna fight. I'd be a good fighter…"

"Lara will go up to one of the towers, and Maladicta, I want you to go to the Room of Requirement and make sure no-one unfriendly comes through there. Understand?" She asked sharply. Maladicta nodded miserably.

"All right leaders up here and we'll divide up the troops."

Professor McGonagall took Harry to one side. Amelia stood up on her chair and addressed her pack.

"Tonight is perhaps the most important night of our lives. Yes, even more important than the storming of Castle Claw. And tonight, we bite to kill. The weakest part of a human is the neck, the stomach area below the ribcage and to bring one down bite the ankles." Several people looked at Amelia nervously as she said these words, but her pack simply nodded, the children white faced and scared, the adults nervously composed.

"We shall be Changing in a matter of moments, so say your goodbyes to your children."

The werewolves grabbed their children, crying and saying goodbyes. Violet threw her arms around her mother's neck, whimpering. Dimitri was having his hair ruffled by a red eyed Ivan. Polly was crying in her mother's arms, as Joanna rocked her and whispered to her.

Amelia blew her nose daintily on a scrap of lace, her eyes also red. "My people, it is time to Change."

The pack threw looks at her but nevertheless let go of their children, saying final comforting words, pinching cheeks, ruffling hair.

They separated themselves out, their clothes tearing, limbs contorting, skin bubbling like wax.

Fifteen wolves fell to the floor. Seven smaller wolves, led by a jet black one followed Fred and George. The familiar chocolate brown one sped off in a similar direction. Eight others crowded round Amelia, who was hastily giving them orders.

"Elsa, Jean, you're with me. Andrei, Ivan and Jonathan go with Kingsley. Allisandra, Joanna and Jasmine go with Arthur." The respective wolves nodded and padded after their chosen leader.

Amelia jumped down and walked over to Lupin. "We're with you, if you hadn't noticed." She smiled and withdrew her wand.

"Are you not changing?" Asked Lupin, as they walked into the dark grounds, following by other fighters.

"Not yet. I'll stay human for the most part. It's much more…." She twirled a hand airily as she tried to find the word. "…_fun,_ yes that's it, when you're human."

Suddenly, a iron grey wolf ran forwards snarling. A pained scream, a flash of light and a whimper.

"Jean!" Cried out Amelia, trying to run forwards but Lupin stopped her.

"The battle has begun."

Then they both ducked a jet of green light.

* * *

a/n: **yes, i know its short but im going to france tommorow and i knew i coudlnt keep you all on tenderhooks!**

**lol, imagine amelia as an sir stewardess whn shes going on about the weakest parts of a human...i do lol**

**most of the word came from deathly hallows so copyright to J k rowling**

**and if theres anyone artisically minded who wants to doodle any of the werewolves i dont mind...as long as you send me a copy! ")**

**and check out the packs website (or webITE lol) the links on me account page...**

**see ya next week!**

**littledevildrummagirl**


	12. Chapter 12

Lara fired as many spells as she could, down onto the oncoming mass of black robed wizards. She understood the battle these people were fighting. It was the same as the Civil war really. All the nonsense placed on the purity of blood…she understood it all. She was a yennork, daughter of a yennork, granddaughter of a yennork….she was lucky to still be alive, if the anti-yennork movement could have their way.

A jet of red light crumbled the stonework next to her.

_"Confringo!_" Screamed Lara, aiming at a death eater. He deflected it easily.

_Confringo! _She screamed in her head. This time, the spell hit its mark. The death eater screamed.

I guess its time for non-verbal spells then, thought Lara.

And she started to sing.

* * *

Maladicta ran as fast as she could up to the Room. She jumped through the hidden door, almost colliding with a furious Ginny, who screamed and jumped backwards. 

"Who let this dog in?"

"I'm not a dog, I'm a wolf!" Snapped Maladicta, reverting back to her human form. Ginny covered her eyes and turned away.

"Sorry…and can you find something to cover yourself?"

"Oh right…." She looked around and a black baggy dress appeared folded neatly on a chair. She put it on quickly.

"There's not much point in me wearing this ya know…when I change again it'll just rip off again." She said conversationally, jumping onto a hammock next to Ginny's head. The girl sniffed and turned away from her again.

"Oho, so you don't like me eh? Why?"

"You're allowed to fight!" Snapped Ginny, her eyes burning. Maladicta looked around then back to Ginny.

"Does it look like I'm fighting now? I've been sent up here to make sure no death eaters come in this way! Lady Amelia wont let me fight."

"Oh…."

And after that Ginny was much warmer towards Maladicta.

They were talking quietly when a elderly witch clambered into the room from the portrait hole. She nodded at the two girls.

"Hello….Ginny Weasley I presume?" Ginny nodded and shook hands with the elderly witch. She turned to Maladicta.

"You I do not know…are you a student of the school?"

"Erm, not really. Just the (Maladicta's eyes glinted cheekily) hired help really!" She gave a quick grin to Ginny who giggled. The woman frowned but extended a claw like hand to her nevertheless.

"Augusta Longbottom."

"Maladicta Sadd."

"Does any of you know where my grandson is?"

They shook their heads.

"I think he's fighting, Mrs Longbottom." Ginny replied. The woman nodded, rather smugly, then turned back to the portrait hole.

"I think it's best if I sealed this up-Oh!" A young woman had stumbled through the portrait hole. A young woman with bubblegum pink hair.

"Oh sorry! Wotcher Ginny, Maladicta, Mrs Longbottom-"

Maladicta gasped and threw herself to the floor in front of Tonks. She raised her head barely. Tonks' mouth dropped a little at the girl but she shook her head and continued talking.

"I just couldn't stay behind at home, knowing Remus was here-"

"A alpha female is never left at home!" Maladicta cried out from her position on the floor, her voice slightly muffled. Her eyes were wide with an angry smugness. "I could have told anyone that but no one would believe me. An alpha female's place is at the front line, with her pack."

Tonks' mouth opened again then she shut it again, shaking her head.

"I was about to seal the portrait hole. Is anyone else coming?"

"No, no. I'm the last one."

The old woman nodded and waved her wand over the hole, which sealed itself instantly with rather grubby looking bricks.

The other door opened suddenly . Harry stepped back in, closely followed by Ron and Hermione. They all looked a little worse for wear and gave a little double take at the four women in the Room.

"Why are you on the floor, Mal?" Asked Hermione, a slight sigh in her voice suggesting the girl had done it before in her presence.

"Showing my submission to my social superior." Snapped Maladicta back. Nearly everyone nodded and seemed relived at this explanation.

Potter, you can tell us what's going on." Said Mrs Longbottom to Harry, crisply.

"Is everyone ok?" Asked Tonka and Ginny together.

"As far as we know." Replied Harry. "Are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?"

"We were the last to come through. I sealed it, I think it unwise to leave it open when Aberforth has left his pub. Have you seen my grandson?"

"He's fighting." Said Harry.

"Naturally." The old woman said proudly. "Excuse me, I must go assist him." She sped off with a surprising speed.

"I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy at your mother's?" Harry turned to Tonks.

"I couldn't stand not knowing. She'll look after him - have you seen Remus?" She looked anguished. Maladicta gave a scolding look to Harry, as if it was his fault.

"He was planning to led a group of fighters into the grounds-"

She nodded and hurried to the portrait hole.

"HEY! Wait for me!" Maladicta jumped up and ran after Tonks. "I know where he is. And you can't go on your own. You need protection. C'mon, we'll find them."

"Who is he with?" Asked Tonks, as they were walking out the room.

"Wasn't he with that blond woman? That really pretty one-" The door hadn't shut off Ginny's voice quickly enough. Tonks spun round in fury to Maladicta.

"He's with WHO? A _really pretty blond woman_? Maladicta, you tell me right now, or I'll….I'll…punish you!" She shook her wand at Maladicta who slunk away, hands in front of her face. She didn't mean to hurt the girl of course, just to…scare her a little.

"He's with my Lady, the Lady Amelia." The girl whimpered, watching Tonks' wand warily.

"And is she 'really pretty'?" Snapped Tonks.

"My other Lady! My Lady is a completely honourable woman, she is here with her mate-"

"Just tell me Mal!"

"Okay, okay, so she's won The WW Times 'Prettiest she-wolf' vote so many times they won't let her be nominated anymore but that is not the point-"

There was a large bang, and flashes of light to the left of them.

"We should get going." Suggested Maladicta weakly. Tonks nodded slowly, then the two women started running.

"Soooo….is Lady Amelia nice?"

"No nicer than you, my other Lady."

They ducked away from a corridor full of screams.

"Is she a good witch?"

"No better than you, my other Lady."

More hiding. More running. More screams. They finally reached the great staircase.

"Is she-"

"Stop asking questions about her, my other Lady! You can find out for yourself when you meet her! And Lordy, I've never ran so slow in my whole life!" The girl gave a huff then suddenly grabbed Tonks by the knees, heaving the older woman onto her shoulders.

"How are you doing this?" Tonks whispered into the girl's ear as she ran out the entrance hall, quicker than any normal person.

"Bred Werewolf, my other Lady. Nine generations on my father's side. Means I've got a slightly better physical attributes than an average human- or at least that's what my Lady says."

She was skirting round the edge of the castle then dropped Tonks. She pointed at figures illuminated against the night sky, surrounded by people.

"That's them!" She grinned. There was a loud growling sound and the horrible scream of someone in pain. The air turned red.

"Looks like Elsa's got herself a throat to rip out!" Maladicta chuckled gleefully. Tonks sniffed disgustedly then ran to them. Maladicta blinked, her eyes yellow chest heaving (seemingly excited by the smell and sight of spilled blood) than ran after Tonks.

"Where are you going, _dear_ niece?" Said a silky voice behind them.

Bellatrix Lestrange removed her hood, smiled cruelly then pointed her wand straight at Tonks.

"Avada Kedavra!" She screamed, an evil smile upon her face.

Tonks' mind went blank. She stood there, dumb with shock, as the green light hurtled towards her.

_She would never see Remus or Teddy again…_Their faces burst into her blank mind. She watched, with moist eyes as the green light sped towards her….

She was knocked to the ground. She landed hard, brown musky fur in her face. She heard Bellatrix's howl of fury then….

…the woman screamed, something howled and snapped. She heard running feet, two pairs. She lay there, staring at the stars. Not knowing if she was alive, or whether this was some bizarre pathway between life and death…

A pair of feet padded back softly, whining.

The body of a small, brown wolf collapsed feebly on Tonks. It whimpered, clearly in pain.

"Maladicta?"

The wolf nodded weakly, a small trickle of blood dribbling from one corner of her mouth. Tonks sat up and the wolf grimaced some more.

"We've got to get you to Madam Pompfrey…can you walk?" The wolf nodded and stood up on shaky legs.

Tonks raised her wand, and walked next to the limping wolf.

"Is that your blood?" She whispered. The wolf shook its head.

"Bellatrix's?" The wolf nodded and grinned.

Another hooded death eater loomed from the darkness.

"Avada-" Before he could finish, the wolf had launched herself at his throat. His cry ended in a horrible gurgling noise and his body fell to the floor heavily. The wolf came limping back to Tonks, muzzle and chest bright red. She made her way slowly back to the castle.

Neville Longbottom came running past with a group of ear muffed Hufflepuffs, all carrying screaming mandrakes. Tonks stuffed her fingers in her ears quickly. Maladicta's hackles rose and she whimpered more.

Tonks didn't hear the footsteps behind her. A hand was suddenly clamped over her mouth, a wand tip prodded in her throat.

* * *

"Don't move." Hissed Bellatrix's voice in her ear. "Your little wolf scared me last time but look-it's injured. Is it husbandy? Lucky you had a little tame werewolf to sort me out…" 

"You don't…don't dare! I've got my wand on you if you even try to do anything!" Neville had stayed, his wand pointed determinedly at Bellatrix.

"Ah, now I can destroy the last Longbottom…I hope your grandmother can stand being alone in the world. Avada Kedavra!" The jet of green light shot toward Neville.

Maladicta jumped forwards, into the jet. It hit her squarely in her chest. Her body stiffened and she fell to the floor.

Bellatrix laughed.

"Avada-"

Maladicta, neither a wolf or a human, had jumped up and threw herself at Bellatrix's legs. The woman fell over and the girl snapped at her throat. The witch's wand flew in the air and the girl/wolf snapped at her ankles. Bellatrix screamed, grabbed her wand and ran into the darkness again.

"She-she won't try to hurt you again, m-my other Lady." She gasped, stepping into the wand light.

It was a horrible image. She was in neither of her forms properly; her left hand was trying to be a paw, a tail with no fur on flapped lifelessly at the top of her legs. She had fur on her head, and one side of her face was a wolf's. Her face was slashed open, her chest bleeding openly. Most of her toes were missing.

Then she collapsed on the floor.

Tonks picked her up gently. The girl's head fell over her arms. Her eyes stared lifelessly.

"Is she alive?" Asked Neville, his face pale.

"I don't know." Replied Tonks. She felt like she was going to cry; this girl, who so obviously admired her enough as this Lady Amelia, had taken a killing curse for her. She could die. To save herself and Neville.

Then Maladicta screamed. It was a horrible noise. The scream of a baby in pain, a long forgotten scream, that must have lived deep inside her subconscious.

"Guide me Neville. We have to get her to the Great Hall as soon as we can." The pair started running, Maladicta screaming as hard as she could, her legs kicking helplessly, long streams of tears running down her bloody face.

Please Merlin, thought Tonks helplessly, save this girl.

* * *

**A/N: sorry, cliffhanger. but im going to cornwall tommorow (why so many holidays??) and i needed this down before i went.**

**The thing about Lara singing (more clever readers might have guessed this) is that she is the singer from the band The Howlers mentioned earlier.**

**Who wants the penultimate chapter (after the battle of hogwarts) to be Amelia and Jean's wedding? it might be a nice way to have the end of this time period.**

**website added to today (link on profile) try and find the single hint about Amelia's past. Virtual cookies for first reader to spot it.**

**if maladicta survives (she might not, remeber she took TWO killing curses!) then i'm trying to set preludes to a tonks/maladicta friendship. her past shall be explained...**

**await the return of Rosie and a curious friend borrowed from Discworld! (Discworldy readers might be able to guess it- clue: not a werewolf, but from Uberwauld.)**

**also, if maladicta survives, which wizrd should she end up with? i have two plans for her and in one she has magical children, in order for that she has to have a magical mate. ideas on a review please ")**

**over and out,**

**littledevildrummagirl**


	13. Chapter 13

What can you do? Can you save her?" Tonks asked Madam Pomfrey desperately. Neville and her had managed to get Maladicta safely to the Great Hall, where the injured were being treated by the school matron and a team of helpers. The girl was laying on the floor, rigid as a board, thrashing her head wildly, sweat dripping off her.

"Well, first thing to do is to bring this fever down." The matron made a small bowl of water in midair and dabbed the water gently on the girl's face. The water steamed off her face, droplets sizzling. Maladicta started to scream again. It had taken four silencing charms to stop her screaming in the first place. The girl writhed away from the water, screaming in pain.

The other injured people around started to scream with her. Madam Pomfrey threw the wet cloth in her hands down on the floor and huffed scowling.

"I try my best to help every patient I am given but this werewolf is something else. I have no knowledge of werewolf medicine and she is disturbing my other patients! You must remove her from this room and take her up to the hospital wing, Mrs Lupin. I will not have her down here any more!"

"But she might die!"

The matron merely scowled at Tonks and went to another patient.

"Well, it time to get up again Mal." Whispered Tonks as she tried to lift her as gently as possible. The gilr stopped screaming and made gulping sounds in Tonks' arms. Then she started to shake all over again, her eyes rolling back in her head.

"Shh, shh, everything's all right." Hushed Tonks, soothingly. "Neville, can you help me again?"

The lad nodded and they set off to the hospital wing.

* * *

They barely got there safely. But the room was dark and silent, safe from the battle. Tonks laid the girl in a bed, tucking her in tightly so she wouldn't thrash while Neville lit some candles. The door burst open and a naked teenage boy with dark hair burst in. He was covered in little bleeding wounds that seemed to be healing.

"Maladicta!" He ran over to the bed, limping a little. He patted the chalk white hand of the girl.

"Who are you?" Asked Tonks.

"Dimitri Hamstel, from Lady Amelia's pack. Son of Ivan and Joanna Hamstel." He gave a little head bow to Tonks and clicked his heels together. "I saw you carrying Mal up here. What happened?"

"She took two killing curses. For me and Neville." Tonks blinked back tears. Dimitri grinned though.

"Well don't worry yourself. As a breed, us werewolves are quite hard to kill."

Maladicta's eyes suddenly flew open. They were wide and white. Her hands clenched and pounded on the bed.

"Mal!" Tonks and Dimitri bent over her, Tonks stroking her hands and Dimitri wiping the trickling sweat from her forehead. She turned to Tonks.

"Mum-mummy…." She whispered hoarsely.

"What?" Tonks shot backwards surprised. But Maladicta's arm shot at her faster than any human movement and grabbed her arm in a vice like grip.

"Mummy don't leave me again!" She sobbed. "They've hurt daddy mummy. Can't you hear it? The Lore has caught up with us mummy, they've found us!" Maladicta's voice broke off, racked by sobs that made her body shake. "Mummy, don't leave me! Don't leave me!"

"I won't…" Muttered Tonks, trying to wrench her arm free from Maladicta's grip.

"I wouldn't try that if I was you. We can break bones." Dimitri murmured sadly.

"Oh, that's a great relief! But what's all this 'mummy they've found us' stuff?"

"Hasn't Maladicta told you about her parents?" Asked Dimitri sharply. Tonks shook her head. "Well, it's not my business to tell you if she didn't want to. But Maladicta's an orphan. And that's my last word on the subject." Dimitri strode over to the fireplace where Neville was sitting. "Can you light this? I can't do magic myself." He asked Neville cheerfully. The boy nodded and lit one wordlessly. Dimitri smiled a very toothy smile at him. "Thank you. Now run along. Those death eaters won't destroy themselves."

"Oh, yes…well, I'll see you in a bit, Tonks." Neville stood up, nodding to Tonks. He looked sadly at Maladicta. "Hope you get well." He said loudly to the girl. Her head shot at him and stared at him intently. He blushed a little then ran out the door.

Dimitri had grabbed a pinch of glittery floo powder from a pot on the mantelpiece. He turned to the roaring flames and Tonks noticed a very detailed tattoo on his right shoulder blade of a wolf's snout, in black ink. He threw the powder on the flames, which turned the familiar bright green. He knelt down, gave a funny bark and stuck his head in the flames.

"Rosie!" He bellowed. "Come quickly! Mal's injured and bring that Undead doctor!" He stood back up, brushing ash from his shoulders.

"That should do it." He smiled cheerfully and leant over to shake Tonks' hand. "Nice meeting you. I've got to get back out there. I'll keep an eye out for your mate if I go into the grounds."

He ran out, leaving Tonks standing next to Maladicta, multi coloured flashes from outside lighting the room.


	14. Chapter 14

Andrei was a mild mannered man. Normally. However, the wolf side of his mind had flooded his brain, making it foggy and violent. Uncontrolled. All he knew was he was facing down three other males, their sticks making such pretty lights as he dodged them.

It was such _fun. _Silver-tail (His wolf side) rarely got out anymore. Now he was allowed full control of his body!

He threw himself at the throat of one of his opponents. The man screamed but Silver-tail continued. He had been denied the sweet taste of human flesh for so long…

"Let me through! I know how to kill the little mongrel!" Screamed a new human. A woman. He turned and growled, his hackles up. She advanced on him. Silver-tail smirked to himself. Too easy.

Her hand jabbed forward, her fist full of silver.

His chest burned so. Indescribable pain flooded every cell of his being. He felt his skin begin to blister on his chest. He could feel his fur burning off, froth and blood and bile creeping up his throat…

The wolf fell down as Andrei Emmingtine, a silver dagger sticking from his chest.

Then everything went silver and red to him.

* * *

Jean saw him fall. He ran forward, slung his friend over his shoulders, running to the castle.

Another silver dagger sliced dangerously through the cold air. It missed Jean by inches, and he ran faster.

Two more flew past his waist.

Then the final one found it's mark.

It dug deep into his left thigh.

Jean let an inhuman bellow escape from his lips.

But he carried on running.

He was strong.

He could make it to the castle

After all, he was a soldier, first and foremost.

* * *

Jean burst through the door of the hospital, bleeding, his legs shaking beneath him.

"Help him first please." He groaned as he laid Andrei on the nearest bed.

"Of corthe thir." Lisped a little man with stitches around his head. He limped over to Andrei while Jean collapsed onto a bed. The man tutted and tried his best to make the dying werewolf comfortable.

"I'm afraid thir that thith wolf will not live. A thilver dagger to the chetht ith non reverthable wound. There ith no chance of thurival."

"Can you at least keep him alive until his wife can say goodbye? Make him conscious?" Enquired Jean, his skin blistering painfully around the dagger in his thigh.

"Yeth thir." The man turned to Jean and gently felt the blistered skin around the dagger. Jean bellowed in pain. "Thith lookth bad, but if I remove the leg then everything thould be fine."

"Remove my leg?" Barked Jean. The man looked up.

"If I don't thir, then the poithon may thpread throughout your body. Doeth my Lord with to die?"

Jean shook his head. The man nodded and smiled.

"Juth lay back thir, everything'th in my handth thir. They're very good handth thir, they belonged to my gret uncle."

Jean nodded. He lay back on the crisp bed, ignoring the shooting pains in his leg.

"I'll be with you in a minute thir, I juth have to thee to thith young lady firtht." The man limped over to the next bed. Jean gave a start when he saw who was lying in the bed nest to him.

It was Maladicta, very white, a thin trickle of blood dribbling from her mouth. She was holding very tightly onto the arm of a woman he didn't recognise.

"Horrible, isn't it?" Croaked a woman in the far corner of the room.

Rosie, still in her dressing gown and looked almost white, stepped forwards.


	15. Chapter 15

Tonks still felt the hot blush on her cheeks from when the brown haired man had entered the room, with the smaller one over his shoulders. He was a VERY manly man, with bulging muscles and everything. And completely stark naked.

Looking over at him, he was the type of man girls would go mad for. He had a very straight nose, chiselled looks, very blue eyes and rugged brown hair.

At least he wasn't as scary as the last two people who came into the hospital wing.

Five minutes after Dimitri had gone, the fire had burst green. A woman and a very short man had stepped into the room.

The man, who lisped terribly, had stitches round his head and limped, had gone straight to Maladicta. He had forced some smoking liquid down her throat and she had stopped shaking and gone to sleep.

"Thtill not better yet. There'th lotth of internal bleeding, but thee'll be better." He had reassured Tonks.

The woman was downright scary. Bright green skin, red hair and she walked as if the top halves of her body weren't attached. She introduced herself as Rosie in-between sobs. Then she hugged the sleeping Maladicta tight and stood in the corner silent.

* * *

"Hey, if you want Maladicta to let you go, I can pull her off." The man was speaking to her now. The doctor with the lisp was slowly drawing out the silver dagger in his leg. He bellowed then calmed himself. 

"No, no. I'm fine." Tonks smiled at him. "I'm Nymphadora Lupin."

"Jean Loup-de-garou." He smiled cheerfully. A sudden red jet exploded outside the window and Jean sighed. "I wish I was out there still. There's nothing like the thrill of a good fight."

There was a sudden 'pop and Jean bellowed, ripping his sheets. The dagger had been pulled out by the doctor, who was smiling triumphantly.

"Nathty thing." He commented, putting it in a pewter dish and carrying it away. The doctor dabbed it with a green ointment and bandaged it up neatly.

"You enjoy fighting, do you?"

"I'm a soldier." Answered Jean, shrugging. "I fight because I had to, but to someone like me, a fight is always enjoyable."

Oh."

There was silence between them. The man next to Jean took a few rattling breaths. The doctor was busy measuring out clean white bandages for Maladicta. Rosie in the corner was breathing out deeply. Maladicta's blood bubbled slowly in the corner of her mouth.

"Amelia might be a little unhappy when I loose my leg. But she'll be proud of me nonetheless."

"What? You're Amelia's mate?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Oh…nothing."

"Are you the mate of that man Amelia was going on about? That little, tired man?"

"Yes I am. Wife to be in fact." Tonks snapped. How dare he insult her husband!

"Is he…no, no. I mean, what is he like? Intelligent? Cultured? Strong? Powerful?" Jean sounded distinctly aggrieved as he asked these questions.

We're exactly the same, thought Tonks. I'm annoyed that his wife, who seems better than me, is spending time with my husband. And Jean's annoyed that my husband, who could be better than him, is spending time with his wife!

"I wouldn't ask but…" Jean broke off. The doctor with stitches round his head was now sitting next to him, sharpening an axe on a grindstone.

"I understand." Tonks admitted and Jean smiled ruefully.

"Sorry, I was being silly I guess. I trust Amelia…even though she can be an awful flirt sometimes. But, wolves mate for life. We've been together for thirteen years, and I know we'll stay together. And I know your husband must love you. You're not even one of us."

"Oh thanks. That's the second time I've been told that."

"Excuthe me, but can you two jutht hold Mith Maladicta up? Before I deal with Mithter Jean here I want to thort out that nathy internal bleeding." The doctor grinned and held out a small pewter dish.

"Ok…" Tonks heaved Maladicta up into a sitting position. Jean tried to come over and help but he yelped as soon as he sat up, so he collapsed back onto the bed.

The doctor placed the dish on Maladicta's lap and withdrew a very sharp scalpel from somewhere. He neatly slit her side open. With a dull, glooping sound, a large amount of dark red, glutinous blood gushed out and fell in the dish. Tonks wrinkled her nose; the wound smelt horrible.

The doctor whistled tunelessly as he gently cleaned the wound. Then he carefully dabbed the wound with the same green ointment he had used on Jean. It smoked a little and Maladicta whimpered.

"Shh…" Tonks jiggled her a little, hushing her. The doctor was winding a large amount of crisp, white bandages around Maladicta's chest.

"Pull together Mal." Rosie came from the corner with a bowl of water. She dabbed a cloth around the girl's mouth, removing the blood. She laid a wet flannel on her forehead. "Now we wait."

Tonks nodded, trying to ignore the doctor drawing the curtains around Jean's bed, holding the sharpened axe.

The two women stood in silence, trying not to listen to the horrible sound of sawing from the bed next to them, and Jean's bellows of pain.

"You wanna seat, darlin'?" Rosie asked suddenly, conjuring up two armchairs with a flick from her wand. Tonks sank gratefully into it, Maladicta's grip on her arm getting painful.

I hope Remus is safe, she thought.

And as if fate was reading her mind, the door of the hospital wing burst open.

A beautiful woman with golden eyes and ringlets came in holding her wand aloft. She was bleeding from a cut above her eye.

"Help!" She screamed then jumped at the sight of the stitched doctor, who was coming out of the curtains around Jean's bed. Holding an amputated leg.

"Igor? What are you doing here?" She asked, in a pleasant, golden voice.

"Thummoned Lady Amelia. Lotth of werewolf injurieth might happen, and I am the betht undead doctor in London." He replied, a tad reproachfully.

The woman nodded.

"Well, I've got someone here. But I don't know if the werewolf death immunity rule applies to him, he's a bitten. Not a bred!" Tears were falling fast down her cheeks, splattering the top of her dress. "And my mate is missing, and one of my best friends….well, Lara bring him in."

Another blonde woman, this much younger and slightly Nordic looking, entered the room, carrying an unconscious man in her arms.

She didn't even have to be told who it was.

Tonks stood up, screaming.

She tried to run to him, but her arm was still in Maladicta's impossibly strong grip.

So she fainted instead, her head hitting the armchair painfully, Rosie running forwards to shield her from the sight of her wounded husband.


	16. Chapter 16

This is all my fault." Moaned Amelia, pacing the hospital wing.

"Don't sweat about it. He wasn't hit by fire, or silver. And look at Mal; she's fine. He'll be fine!" Lara said reassuringly, sit on an armchair, strumming a guitar she'd transfigured from an orange.

"Yes, but I made our group go after that death eater!" Amelia pulled at her hair worriedly. "After Jean vanished, one of them aimed a killing curse right at him. I don't know if it hit him but I made us go after him!" She burst into tears and collapsed into a chair next to Lara.

Lupin was laid in a bed next to Maladicta, unconscious, sweating, occasionally twitching. His also unconscious wife was laid in the next bed to him. Rosie was attending to her, fussing.

Igor didn't have a clue how to deal with Lupin.

"Bitten werewolveth are not part of my experience." He muttered, whilst making Lupin comfortable. "They do not normally apply for my therviceth. They prefer to keep themthelveth to themthelveth. " He tucked the top of the blanket under Lupin's chin.

"Is there anything you can do?" Asked Amelia desperately. Igor shrugged his shoulders.

"There ith only one perthon who can deal with thith. I think you know who I mean." He looked darkly at Amelia. She nodded.

"You must go fetch her. Quickly. Do it now!" The last words were barked out. Igor nodded, threw some floo powder withdrawn from his pocket on the fire and vanished.

"Who was he talking about?" Asked Lara curiously.

"Never you mind." Muttered Amelia darkly. She walked over to Jean. Igor had put him under sedation and he was sleeping peacefully. It was such a shame about his leg, but he was so brave to make it up here conscious. And carrying poor dear Andrei….

She had burst into tears when she saw him lying there. To loose such a dear, old friend. She remembered the old days, back in the old country when they were both little children. Playing in the woods, swimming in the river, running through the meadows….

Now he was going to die.

Elsa would be heartbroken.

Amelia brushed some of Andrei's hair away from his face. She sighed, some tears falling onto Andrei's face.

"Well, at least we've got an hour to rest before we got back out there." Said Lara, trying her hardest to be cheerful.

"Hmmm….I just want this to end now. I thought this was a good idea, a way to show that humans and us are not so different. But I don't want to fight anymore. I want to stay here, with Jean and Andrei." She couldn't stop pacing the hospital wing now she'd got up.

* * *

Tonks suddenly woke up with big, gulping breath.

"Shh, dear. You need to rest." Rosie firmly pushed Tonks back down but the young woman struggled up.

"Remus…" She leapt up, shoving Rosie roughly out the way and knelt by her husband's bed. She burst into tears and grabbed his hand. "Remus….Remus….what happened?"

"We went after a death eater and he-he got hit. I don't know how many times, but he just fell and Lara and I brought him up here." Amelia spoke from the other side of the room. Tonks' head shot up and looked at her, with red eyes. Her eyes narrowed.

"You." She snarled. Then she ran across the room and before Amelia could stop her and slapped the she-wolf hard across the face. The blond woman blinked in surprise and as Tonks swung round for another blow, grabbed her wrist. Tonks gasped in pain; the woman's grip was like a clamp. Then to her surprise, the woman lifted her upwards, so they were face to face.

"I wouldn't try anything else." Amelia told her calmly. "I'm faster than you, I'm stronger than you. I can break a man's skull open with my jaws. So don't do anything else silly."

Tonks struggled in the woman's grip but Amelia held on. She walked over to the chair next to Lara and dropped Tonks in it.

"Now," She continued in a no-nonsense voice. "What was all that about?"

"I don't know….I was just angry I suppose."

"At me? Why?"

"Because all anyone had told was that you were really pretty. And that you were with Remus." Tonks whispered.

"Oh…" Amelia smiled. "I understand. Common female jealousy. If it was someone else described the way you described me with my mate, I would have ripped her eyes out with my bare fingers. " She flexed her fingers, which were very long, thin and elegant.

The door opened again. A short, plump, naked woman stepped in, followed by a teenage girl with long, black hair. They were both very pale and were shaking.

"Elsa…" Amelia ran to the short woman. She turned to Amelia, with big red, crying eyes.

"Where is he?" She asked croakily, but before Amelia could answer, Elsa spotted the bed where the man with the silver dagger in his chest lay. "Andrei!" She screamed and jumped on him. She hugged him, whilst carefully avoiding the dagger in his chest, weeping. The teenage girl gave an inhuman scream, tears falling like waterfalls from her eyes and grabbed her father's back, holding it tightly.

"Daddy, don't die!" She wept, her voice shaking. Her mother howled.

Andrei's eyes flickered open.

"Elsa…" He croaked. The woman stopped crying and smiled. She put a hand on the side of his face.

"Yes, it's me. I'm here."

"So much pain….I'm dying Elsa."

"Daddy stop it!" Cried his daughter fiercely. "You're not going to die!"

"Violet, there's no hope…."The only sound in the room was his rattling breaths. "Elsa. I love you. I will always love you. We will meet again, across the water, in the sunlight. In the hunting grounds." Elsa nodded, kissing her husband's cheeks. Andrei took another long, pain filled breath, licking his lips. "Will…I still…be soiled….when the….when the dirt…is off?" He asked. Elsa's eyes widened and she howled again. Andrei's eyes flickered then closed. His body went limp.

Elsa and Violet let out a long, mournful howl. It made the hairs on the back of Tonks' neck stand right on end, and the ones on her arms too. Then Amelia joined in. Jean woke up from his sedated slumber and joined in. Below them in the silent castle, more howls joined in. It grew in strength, the combined howls becoming one. A single, long howl of grief.

The stamping of two pairs of feet made everyone jump. The howl stopped and the other howls broke off.

"Thorry we're late. Did we mith anything?" Asked Igor, grinning widely, closely followed by a young blond woman.


	17. Chapter 17

The woman went straight to Lupin. She opened up a black case she had with her and began pulling various bottles of liquids and pastes out. Igor hurried to help her.

Elsa lay her husband's body down on the bed. She pulled the bedclothes up and her and her daughter tucked them in neatly around his body. Violet grabbed a flickering candle, placing her father's hands palms up on his lap. She wedged the candle in his hands, and kissed his cheek.

"Does anyone have any money on them?" Asked Elsa quietly. Amelia behind her quickly placed two bronze coins in her hand. Elsa placed them on her husband's eyelids and kissed his other cheek. Then burst into fresh tears. Amelia held her arms out and her friend grabbed her, weeping.

"Shh, Elsa, shh. Everything's going to be all right." She whispered soothingly into Elsa's ear.

"But my Andrei…he's dead! He's never coming back…" Wept Elsa. Lara started playing her guitar behind her, silent tears half dried on her cheeks.

"_I cried, never gonna hold the hand of another guy, too young for him they told her, waitin' for the love of a travelin' soldier, our love will never end, waitin' for the soldier to come back again…." _The young woman sang hollowly and Elsa smiled through the tears.

"That brings it all back…he was such a brave soldier, in the war. And he was brave tonight." She smiled to herself. "I should go back home. I should tell the children what's happened."

She strode to the fire, threw a pinch of floo powder on the flames and barked out a word.

"Violet, are you coming?"

"No." The teenage girl was still stood at her father's side, shaking. But not with grief. With rage. She turned to her mother, red eyed and her face screwed up with wrathful rage. "I'm going to find who did this to dad. Then I'm going to rip them apart with my bare hands." These hands clenched themselves. Elsa looked at her daughter and nodded.

Then she stepped into the fire.

Amelia laid a hand on Violet's shoulder but the girl shook her off.

"Violet, this anger is dangerous. You know what anger leads to; anger leads to the bloodlust."

"I know Amelia. But I have to do this. For father."

Amelia sighed and nodded.

"I did the same for my father, so I really can't criticise you. I just hope you know what you're doing." She patted the girl on the shoulder. Well, come on. We'd better go downstairs and find out what's happening." She wiped her face and turned to Tonks and Lara. "Are you two coming with us?"

"I don't know about them but I'm coming." Snarled Rosie suddenly, stabbing thin air with her wand savagely.

"I'll come." Lara vanished the guitar simply and stood up. "I should probably make sure that Vi stays safe."

"I'll come too." Said Tonks, before she even realised she'd said it.

"Don't you want to stay here and make sure Remus is okay?" Asked Lara, her face full of concern. Tonks shook her head.

"I want the same as Violet. Revenge."

* * *

A/n: **sorry for complete lack of author notes in the last few chappies, but i was on a complete roll lol.**

**thanks for the reviews they always make me smile lol**

**an yeh i put an igor in because they always make me smile an it seemed appropriate**

**more added to piczo site- violet and some of the younger members of the pack have their own say!**

**no one still picked up on the clue on that site...but who can guess who the mysterious young woman with igor was??**

**thanks for the whole mal/wizard ideas...any others let me know on the forum on the Amelia C2!**

**yea, i kno it sounds bigheaded to start a C2 for your own story, but i'm planning quite a few, maybe even in different sections, so i made a C2 for your ease/comfort. its calles the amelia cronicles and is under harry potter C2's atm lol**

**")**

**littledevildrummagirl**

**ps-song cred dixie chicks travelling soldier. cos it makes me cry, and is like the elsa/andrei story which will be in a future fanfiction**


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